Thirteen members of a family, including women and children, were killed and nine others sustained injuries in a road accident in Pakistan's Punjab province, authorities said on Monday. The accident took place on Sunday in Muzaffarghar district, some 350 km from Lahore, when a passenger van collided with a truck.
According to emergency service Rescue 1122, the accident was so fatal that several people died on the spot. The rescue team and locals shifted the injured to a hospital where doctors pronounced 11 of them dead on arrival, while two later succumbed to their wounds, it said.
The 13 people killed were members of the same family. The dead include four women and three children, officials said, adding that they were travelling to Multan to visit their relatives. Of the nine injured, three are in critical condition, they said.
Driver arrested
Police have arrested the truck driver and registered a case against him. The driver said he lost control of his vehicle due to over speeding and collided with the passenger van.
Earlier this month, a bus plunged into a rocky ravine in northern Pakistan after its driver lost control, killing 20 people and injuring 30 others. The bus was travelling to Hunza on the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district when the accident occurred, senior police officer Fayaz Ahmed said.
The mountainous highway connects Pakistan with China. Hunza is a popular tourist destination, especially in the warmer months. Faizaullah Faraq, spokesperson for the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, said the accident occurred about 5:30 a.m.
“As a result of this tragic bus accident, 20 passengers have been killed while 30 passengers have been injured and the injured have been helped here in Chilas headquarters hospital,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Also Read: Pakistan: Terrorists attack passenger bus, burn down vehicle and torture people, say police
